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Toronto Maple Leafs have two options for No. 1 centre

Toronto Maple Leafs camp will open with incumbent Tyler Bozak hoping to keep his spot on the first line away from newly acquired James van Riemsdyk

Centre Tyler Bozak talks with the media after an informal Toronto Maple Leafs practice Jan. 10. (Chris Young / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

By Bob MitchellSports Reporter

Sat., Jan. 12, 2013

For now they’re Maple Leaf teammates, but the off-season acquisition of James van Riemsdyk could eventually make centre Tyler Bozak expendable and trade bait.

Bozak’s name has been linked along with forward Nazem Kadri, 22, as players possibly heading west to Vancouver should Toronto trade for Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo. With Brian Burke’s sudden firing on Wednesday, it’s now Dave Nonis’ deal to make.

But having his name connected to a trade is nothing new for Bozak, who despite the rumours, ironically seems set to start training camp between wingers Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul on Toronto’s No. 1 line. He scored a career-high 18 goals last season to go with 29 assists.

Coach Randy Carlyle expects to have about 30 players at the MasterCard Centre when camp opens on Sunday. Their first game will be in Montreal on Jan. 19 against the Canadiens.

“There’s been tons of speculation in the time I’ve been here about places I’m going to and who is coming here,” Bozak said this week after a skate with teammates and other NHL players at the MasterCard Centre. “Rumours are just rumours for now. When the time comes if something does happen, I’ll take it on from there. In the meantime, I’m happy to be here and training to be part of the Maple Leafs.”

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The entire Leafs team skated on Friday at the MasterCard Centre. The six Marlies — Kadri, Ben Scrivens, Matt Frattin, Korbian Holzer, Mark Fraser and Mike Kostka — headed to the big camp skated with the Leafs on Thursday, but were told they couldn’t on Friday because they’re still under American Hockey League contracts until the NHL players ratify their new collective agreement.

When recently fired Leafs GM Brian Burke landed van Riemsdyk from Philadelphia for defenceman Luke Schenn in the off-season, it seemed to open the door for the former overall No. 2 draft pick to slide into centre on the No. 1 line between Kessel and Lupul.

But Carlyle wants van Riemsdyk, 23, on left wing, meaning he’s likely going to play with centre Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin or Frattin. As he gets used to his new teammates, van Riemsdyk said playing the wing might allow him a better comfort zone, but he’s ready to play wherever Carlyle wants him to play.

“I’ll do whatever helps the team win,” said van Riemsdyk, who was hampered last season with a concussion and a broken foot. “I have confidence no matter where I play, but with a shorter camp, the transition (from wing to centre) would have been tougher.”

He knows Toronto fans expect him to become an impact player, but the pressure doesn’t faze him as he heads into his first Leafs camp. v

“As a competitor you always want to do the best that you can do, and it doesn’t really matter about the outside influences,” said van Riemsdyk, who scored just 11 goals last season playing in 43 games after firing 20 goals in 2010-11, including seven in 11 playoff games. “I hold myself to a very high standard. I know what I’m capable of doing. I’m not going to accept anything less than that.”

In a short training camp, it makes sense for Carlyle to keep the Bozak-Kessel-Lupul trio together to see if they can get off to a fast start, something that will be essential if Toronto is to finally make the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.

“Obviously I love playing with those two guys. Anyone would say the same thing. They’re great players to play with,” Bozak said. “If I get that opportunity I will try to make the most of it. We did well together for long stretches last year. We kind of know where each other is on the ice.”

Bozak spent much of the lockout in the U.S., and didn’t hear much about the trade speculation although his friends often texted him.

He isn’t concerned that his offensive game or the offensive game of his linemates, if he plays with them, will suffer under Carlyle’s defence-oriented system.

“For me and as a line, I know we need to focus better in our own end,” Bozak said. “Carlyle is going to teach us how to play good defence. But a lot of guys on this team have offensive ability and instinct. Once we get the defensive side down, the offence isn’t going to go away.”

Former Leaf coach Ron Wilson tried to take Bozak off the top line several times last season, but each time his replacements never seemed to have the same chemistry that he had with Kessel and Lupul.

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